Transferring point clouds in Rhino automatically into grasshopper.

I am using Volvox to import point clouds that is in the Rhino environment by the usual right mouse click and then selecting each cloud. However I would like the ability to import whatever is present in rhino to be imported automatically into the cloud component when I click on say a toggle switch. Is this possible? Many thanks.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by WT4 on August 19, 2016 at 3:09am

In addition to the above is it possible to activate a layer and hide other layers in Rhino from Grasshopper.

Permalink Reply by peter fotiadis on August 19, 2016 at 4:56am

For the layer part (very easy) wait for the trad update V2 (requires a few lines of code more).

As it is: Load as many point clouds you like and select (i,e, Set one or multiple guids) them into the guidList.

Using the much tortured Standford bunny (but ... well ... when enough is enough?).

Attachments:

PointClouds_V1.gh, 116 KB
bunnyData.zip, 247 KB

Permalink Reply by WT4 on August 19, 2016 at 9:44am

Thanks for this. Will try it when I get home.

Permalink Reply by peter fotiadis on August 19, 2016 at 10:01am

BTW: Describe (like talking to an idiot Robot) what layer "policy" is required:

i.e. : (a) load a cloud (or many) [Q: some transform anyone?], (b) after sampling them in the guidList and "converting": delete or put in some layer(s) (if exist?, if new?, nested?), (c) hide ... etc etc.

Permalink Reply by WT4 on August 19, 2016 at 10:14am

I have different point clouds stored in different layers. I need to load the point clouds from each layer sequentially to do some processing. I want to be able to make any layer active and make it the current layer from a drop down list in grasshopper and make all the other layers inactive. Then with a toggle switch I then need the point cloud component to import whatever is within the rhino environment. Thanks.

Permalink Reply by peter fotiadis on August 19, 2016 at 11:05am

Regardless of layers et all ... have in mind that since clouds are unpredictable/variable ... the only logical approach is to store the "converted" cloud content (points, normals, colors) on a per equivalent tree branch policy (as the V1 already does based on what sort of animals the guidList has on hand ). This simply mean that the "converted" items are resident in GH collection(s) [Trees] and thus ... well ... they have nothing to do with layers (unless: you want to bake them?).

That said ... this layer thingy (bake excluded) it doesn't make any sense to me ... unless you want to control which clouds to "convert" on a per inspect/process cloud(s) per layer basis.

BTW: What is the "point cloud component" ???

Permalink Reply by WT4 on August 22, 2016 at 9:32pm

I tried your gh file. However I still need to select the point cloud from the screen. What I need is for grasshopper to automatically import whatever point cloud(s) is/are in the rhino screen. Thanks.

Permalink Reply by peter fotiadis on August 23, 2016 at 1:16am

Here's the V2 (the trad update) - see logic(?) above.

Does the business via 3 working modes (plus an important Ducati promo):

Select all clouds (available in documant).

Select all visible from the above.

Manually sample (set) clouds to guidList (as was in V1: still the best [automation is a very bad thing: prone to user errors]).

Attachments:

PointClouds_V2.gh, 124 KB

Permalink Reply by WT4 on August 23, 2016 at 3:01am

This is just what I needed. Many thanks for your help.

Permalink Reply by peter fotiadis on August 23, 2016 at 4:12am

So ... the whole thingy with layers ... appears (as I said) pointless unless you want to visually inspect clouds PRIOR any action and THEN authorize batch (so to speak) auto "conversion(s)" accordingly.If so ... in order to recall mistakes you'll need other type of stuff (say: guids sampled as persistent data in some "storage" parameter [as well as the trees branches]).

In fact I'm doing this pointlessly complex approach these days because a good friend of mine (CEO at a very big refinery in S. Arabia) wants a total reverse engineering for that $#%$#% plant (meaning a very complex 3d dataset as the final result + VR stuff via Quest3D + personnel training + ... ). I'm using - obviously - CATIA for the solid modelling part and a bunch of Genesis 2 Puget custom systems for any "post" work on the myriad of 3d models.

On the other hand ... er ... hmm... insofar ... automation for automation's shake proves to be the art of pointless.

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